Matt Rybaltowski
, ContributorI cover the business of sports for Forbes' SportsMoney.Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Intel and Turner Sports announced a partnership Tuesday under which the technology company will become the exclusive provider of virtual reality for the NBA on TNT. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for TNT )

Imagine lounging by the fireplace of your rustic log cabin in the foothills of the Appalachians on a chilly Saturday evening in February, when you decide to strap on a VR headset that your children purchased for you at Christmas.

While Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic prepares for a 360 degree windmill dunk, you are instantly transported from your La-Z-Boy in New Hampshire to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, the host of the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. Within seconds, you could find yourself sitting courtside between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on All-Star Saturday Night.

A technological innovation that may have seemed unfathomable before the former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates entered the league will soon become possible through an immersive media experience designed by Intel.

On Tuesday, Intel and Turner Sports announced a multiyear partnership under which the Silicon Valley technology company will become the exclusive provider of virtual reality for the NBA on TNT. Under the deal, Intel will deliver live content for a select number of NBA games on the network, beginning with 2018 All-Star Weekend. Separately, Intel reached another agreement with the NBA to become a provider of virtual reality and 360-degree volumetric video with Intel's freeD technology for the league's global broadcast partners.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This unique partnership with the NBA will enable us to work with official league broadcasters, including Turner Sports, to take their broadcasts to an unprecedented level and create new ways to immerse viewers in the game," said James Carwana, vice president and general manager of Intel Sports.

"There are a lot of fans who love the game, but don't actually sit within proximity of their favorite team. How can you bring to that experience to the fans? It's envisioning yourself putting on a headset and being transported to that courtside seat."

Using its VR capture system, Intel can create a lifelike virtual reality experience for viewers, allowing them to sift through highlights of a resounding, monster jam by LeBron James or an off-balanced 3-pointer by Stephen Curry from multiple angles. Eventually, the technology may allow a fan to diagnose a play from the same viewpoint as someone like Kyrie Irving when the point guard must decide whether to penetrate off a pick from Al Horford or deliver a pass to the open screener.

"As a fan you might elect to choose the point of view from one of your favorite players and have that virtual camera almost sitting on their nose, so you're watching from their eyes as the play unfolds," said Jeff Marsilio, NBA vice president, Global Media Distribution. "You might be able to put on one of these headsets and you might be able to look around as you were Kyrie Irving."

For the fan hoping to receive an up-close view of a pick-and-roll at a critical moment of a game, the technology could become available on a Video On Demand basis fairly soon, Marsilio said. It might take a little more time for the technology to be applied in real-time, he added.

At present, two NBA franchises, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, feature Intel's freeD technology at their respective arenas by incorporating advanced computing and high-definition cameras to create enhanced replays and highlights. For the 2017 NFL season, 11 stadiums throughout the league offer volumetric video powered by Intel, which in effect uses more than 35 HD cameras positioned around a venue to provide fans with a panoramic, 360-degree view of the action. By comparison, Intel's VR capture system, which will be used by TNT starting on All-Star Weekend, features about a half-dozen pods each containing 12 lenses, Carwana explained.

The latter is more mobile, according to the Intel executive, enabling TNT's production crew to easily transport the system from city-to-city.

While the virtual reality technology will be available through a new NBA On TNT VR app, users will need to have a cable or satellite subscription to view the live, in-game portion of the experience, said Will Funk, executive vice president of property marketing and corporate partnerships for Turner Sports. The network intends to make the virtual reality experience available for a considerable portion of its NBA Playoffs coverage, including some games of the Western Conference Finals.

Although the parties were reluctant to discuss the bidding process for the contract, the NBA views the deal as complementary to its partnership with NextVR, which provides virtual reality content for games that appear on the subscription-based NBA and International NBA League Pass.

"The technologies and the processing capabilities are really coming to a strong tipping point," Carwana said. "The experiences we are going to be able to deliver starting with All-Star Weekend will be great, and as we keep pushing the boundary on what is possible it will only get better each season thereafter."